


Straight as a Rainbow

by Vypera



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), F/F, First Kiss, Gay Keith (Voltron), Happy Ending, Holding Hands, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining Keith/Lance (Voltron), Pride Party, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-04-24 20:36:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19180927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vypera/pseuds/Vypera
Summary: “Actually, Shiro and I had an idea last night; how about we invite everyone to celebrate pride month with us next Sunday?”Keith raised an eyebrow. “Who exactly is ‘everyone?’ ”“Everyone who wants to come,” Shiro smiled. “I know, we usually only celebrate with just the three of us but I thought it would be nice to invite our friends too. If you don’t want to-““I don’t mind,” Keith shrugged, unsuccessfully trying to hide his rising excitement. Celebrating pride month with not only his family but his friends and his long-time crush too? Bad idea, but Keith couldn’t deny the little stumble of his heart. It had been a while since he’d last seen Lance and he really wanted to hear his voice again, to see his stunning smile and laugh with him over silly jokes like they always do. “Should I ask them later today?”





	Straight as a Rainbow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Luscena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luscena/gifts).



> [This beautiful fanart](https://www.instagram.com/p/BySNSBigjux/) by [Luscena.art](https://www.instagram.com/luscena.art/) on Instagram inspired me to write this oneshot ^-^ 
> 
> As soon as it showed up on my screen I was like "I need to write a fanfiction about this" and after I hesitated for a few hours I finally jumped over my shadow and this is the result ^^
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I had fun writing it~
> 
> English is not my first language, please keep that in mind ^^;;
> 
> See ya at the end ;)
> 
> \- Vipera
> 
> PS. To Luscena: Again, thank you so much for allowing me to write this! <3 I had a lot of fun and your messages were so freaking sweet and motivating, I can hardly put it into words ^-^ Now I just hope I'll live up to your expectations ^^;;

“Keith, come on! We don’t want to be late!”

 

“Why do I have to go?” Keith yelled back from his room, not impressed by Shiro’s impatience. “I don’t even know this guy, why should I celebrate his birthday?”

 

“Keith,” Adam entered his room and leaned against the wall with a raised eyebrow. “We’ve been over this; Matt is our friend and Matt’s friends are Lance’s friends. Besides,” Adam smiled softly, “You are the only one Lance doesn’t know yet, so he‘s really excited to finally meet you.”

 

“Still,” Keith tried to conceal his burning cheeks with an annoyed groan. “You know I hate meeting new people,”

 

“That’s no excuse!” Shiro yelled from the entrance hall and Keith sighed in defeat, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get out of this.

 

“Can we at least leave early?”

 

Adam smiled. “Nope.”

 

“Thought so.”

 

Five minutes later, when Keith was still not ready, Shiro practically dragged him to the car. “At this rate you’ll never make new friends. It won’t kill you to have a bit of fun, Keith. I promise.”

 

Adam sniggered behind the wheel while Keith sulked on the backseat. He wasn’t one to take to parties; Keith was the type of person you’d leave home alone because he’d spoil the party. Thinking about it, Keith almost felt sorry for the poor guy who’d thought inviting him, without having ever met, was a good idea.

 

It didn’t take them much time to arrive at the venue; the beach. Now Keith _really_ wanted to go back home. It was late afternoon but the sun was still shining as strong as ever and making Keith feel like he was being burned alive. Adam and Shiro had already grabbed the present and were on their way towards the big group of guests. Just how many people were invited?

 

Keith stopped counting after twenty but couldn’t deny he was kinda impressed; it wasn’t every day you went to a party were everyone seemed to have fun and not forced themselves.

 

“Keith!” Seconds after his name was called Keith felt strong arms around his shoulder and was hugged from behind. “Glad you could make it.”

 

“Why are you glad?” Keith laughed, relived to see a familiar face. “It’s not your birthday, Matt.”

 

“So what? You’re my best friend, of course I’m happy to see you!” Matt grabbed his arm and pulled him along. “Come on, you need to meet everyone!”

 

Keith wanted to protest but thought better; he’s known Matt for years, once he decided on something he wouldn’t stop until he achieved his goal. His sister, Pidge, was the same; she’d pull as many all-nighters as necessary just to reach a satisfying answer.

 

“Keith!” Turning around Keith saw Allura and her girlfriend Romelle coming into their direction. They were wearing bikinis, ready to go for a swim whenever they wanted. “I didn’t know you’d be here too!”

 

“Yeah, Shiro and Adam forced me to tag along,” Keith explained. “I didn’t know you guys would be here either.”

 

“We’ve been friends with Lance for a while now, of course were here!” Romelle said, her eyes twinkling. “Have you met his sister yet? I’m sure Veronica can’t wait to spill some good stories about Lance to you.”

 

“I wanted to introduce him to the others but you’re delaying it.” Matt said with an eye roll. “By the way; have you seen Lotor?”

 

Allura shook her head, “Not yet. Why? Didn’t you come together?”

 

Lotor was Matt’s boyfriend; they’d been together for almost five years now and it was pretty much impossible for anyone who knew them to imagine them breaking up. Sometimes Keith envied Matt for being in such a happy relationship but he’d never dare say it out loud.

 

“He’d something to do and said he’d come later,” Matt said before grinning. “How about you help me introduce Keith to everyone?”

 

And that’s who one hour of torture started. Keith was dragged from group to group and learnt more names and saw more faces than he’d ever be able to remember. Half the people were part of Lance’s family; his uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters; everyone was there to celebrate his twenty-first birthday.

 

By the time he’d met everyone and heard at least five embarrassing stories about Lance’s past – Veronica really loved gossiping about her youngest brother – Keith was exhausted. However, that was only until he saw _him_. The most beautiful man Keith had ever seen walking towards him and when he smiled at Keith his heart skipped a beat, literally. “Hey, you’re Keith, right? I’m Lance, the birthday boy.”

 

Keith had always thought of himself as an atheist but the man in front of him, a dazzling smile on his lips and positivity emitting from every part of him, made him doubt his own believes. “Uh, yeah, I’m Keith. Nice to meet you and happy birthday, I guess.”

 

Keith wanted to hit himself for giving such a dumb answer but Lance didn’t seem to be bothered by his lack of enthusiasm. “Thanks! It’s nice to finally meet you too, I’ve heard like a million stories about you from Matt.”

 

“I hope nothing too bad…” Keith muttered and Lance laughed wholeheartedly, making Keith’s legs feel like jelly.

 

“Nah, just-“

 

“Lance!” All of a sudden there were arms around Lance’s waist and a woman was clinging to him with a big smile on her face. “Happy birthday, darling!”

 

“Thanks, Nyma.” Lance said fondly and kissed her lips, “Glad you made it.”

 

Keith stayed silent and just watched, ignoring the small pang in his heart.

 

“Well, it takes a while to get this pretty,” Nyma said, throwing her hair back. “Anyway,” She turned to Keith, a sharp gaze in her eyes. “Who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

 

“Oh, I’m-“

 

“That’s Keith, Shiro’s brother and Matt’s best friend. Keith,” Lance looked at him, his arm secure around the shoulders of the woman next to him. “This is Nyma, my girlfriend.”

 

Keith didn’t remember much more from the party after that point. Somehow he’d gotten away from Lance and Nyma and managed to not be alone with him for the rest of the day.

 

On his way home with Shiro and Adam he was mostly silent, not making eye contact nor talking about the party. His phone was heavy in his hands, filled with new contacts; nobody would let him leave without getting his number, Veronica had almost crushed him in a hug, trying to get his phone. In the end he’d given in, spending almost ten minutes with just saving the phone numbers of his new friends. Lance’s number was there too, of course.

 

“We totally need to stay in contact,” he had said while typing in his number happily. Keith had just nodded, not trusting his voice.

 

Later that night, when he was lying in his bed and staring at his ceiling Keith allowed himself to think back, to remember Lance’s sparkling eyes and the stunning smile on his lips. His heart beat faster and Keith felt his cheeks flush. He really had it bad for Lance, a guy he’d just met a few hours ago and who was _straight._

 

Shaking his head he turned to the side, closing his eyes and ignoring all the incoming notifications making his phone blink annoyingly every few minutes.

 

“I can’t fall for him,” Keith muttered into the darkness of his room. Falling in love with a straight guy was the worst way of heartbreak Keith could think of.

 

* * *

 

Now, almost a year later, Keith’s feelings hadn’t changed at all; his heart beat fast whenever Lance laughed or smiled at him and his legs transformed into jelly when they touched. However, Keith had gotten good at hiding his feelings, at least in front of Lance. Adam had him all figured out before they’d even arrived at home that night and by now pretty much every single one of their mutual friends knew about it.

 

When Lance and Nyma had broken up just before Christmas Keith had contemplated telling him, just so he’d finally be able to get it off his chest but when he saw Lance the day after, eyes red from crying and just a sad smile whenever someone tried to lift his spirit, Keith couldn’t bring himself to do it, to be so selfish and impose on him with his feelings. It hurt but Keith knew it was the right decision and didn’t regret it.

 

It was the beginning of June now, pride month. Keith’s favorite time of the year; ever since Shiro had come out as gay – Keith had been ten then - they’d celebrated pride month together, and after Keith came out as gay too, at the tender age of fourteen, it had long become a tradition they both held dear.

 

When Shiro and Adam finally became a couple, after many months of simply dancing around each other, the three of them had decided to always celebrate this special time of the year together.

 

Keith had just gotten home from a trip with his motorcycle when Adam called him over from the kitchen. “Could you help me with dinner?”

 

“Sure, I’ll be right there!” Keith yelled back and took off his jacket and shoes. “Where’s Shiro?”

 

“Still at work but he should be home soon.” Adam said and pointed at a pot. “Could you stir that, please?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“That reminds me,” Adam said, without interrupting his work. “Do you have any plans for the next weekend?”

 

“I thought we’d have our pride celebration on that Sunday?” Keith asked, one eyebrow rising. He wasn’t one for parties but he would fight any one who’d dare to take away the one fest he loved to celebrate. “Have you changed your mind?”

 

Adam smiled softly. Keith was sure Adam knew exactly what he was thinking. “No, we haven’t but we had an idea-”

 

“I’m home!”

 

Adam smile softened when Shiro entered the kitchen and first disheveled Keith’s hair and then kissed Adam’s cheek. “This smells delicious, baby.”

 

“You’re not really surprised, are you?” Adam said and laughed. “Wash up, food will be ready soon.”

 

Shiro did as he was told and Adam turned back to Keith. “We’ll talk after dinner, okay?”

 

An hour later Keith was silently sitting in an armchair while Shiro and Adam cuddled on the couch. They had their arms around each other and Keith felt a sting of envy in his heart. He may be a loner but that didn’t mean he never desired to be held dear by someone. Preferably by Lance, but he knew better than to wish for the impossible to happen.

 

“Adam, can we continue our talk from before?”

 

“Oh, sure,” Adam sat up, his attention now on Keith. “Actually, Shiro and I had an idea last night; how about we invite everyone to celebrate pride month with us next Sunday?”

 

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Who exactly is ‘everyone?’ ”

 

“Everyone who wants to come,” Shiro smiled. “I know, we usually only celebrate with just the three of us but I thought it would be nice to invite our friends too. If you don’t want to-“

 

“I don’t mind,” Keith shrugged, unsuccessfully trying to hide his rising excitement. Celebrating pride month with not only his family but his friends and his long-time crush too? Bad idea, but Keith couldn’t deny the little stumble of his heart. It had been a while since he’d last seen Lance and he really wanted to hear his voice again, to see his stunning smile and laugh with him over silly jokes like they always do. “Should I ask them later today?”

 

“That would be great,” Shiro nodded and smiled at Adam. “We thought it would be a nice change of pace.”

 

“I’m sure it will be,” Keith said, already standing up. “I’ll be in my room and notify everyone.”

 

“Tell them colorful clothes are mandatory!” Adam said and Keith nodded before climbing the stairs to his room. Falling onto his bed Keith sighed opening his messenger. Pidge and Matt had programmed it by themselves because of boredom and Keith was still impressed how smoothly everything worked.

 

**_-Keith has joined the chatroom-_ **

**Keith: Shiro and Adam had the idea to celebrate pride month at our house next Sunday and you’re all invited (colorful clothes are mandatory). Anyone interested?**

**_-Allura has joined the chatroom-_ **

**Allura: That sounds wonderful! Romelle and I will definitely be there! ^-^**

**_-Matt has joined the chatroom-_ **

**_-Lotor has joined the chatroom-_ **

**Matt: Lotor and I will be there too, I wouldn’t dare to miss a party with my best friend! ;D**

**Lotor: I just told you that I don’t have time next Sunday…**

**_-Acxa has joined the chatroom-_ **

**Matt: Don’t be like this; we both know you’ll make it anyway ;)**

**Lotor: … *sigh***

**_-Hunk has joined the chatroom-_ **

**Acxa: Veronica and I will come too; she’s been excited for pride month ever since Christmas and would kill me before not using every chance we get to celebrate and show off**

**_-Lance has joined the chatroom-_ **

 

**Hunk: I’ll come too, sounds like it’s gonna be an exciting day :D**

 

Keith couldn’t stop a smile from forming on his face. After realizing he was gay he had never hidden his sexuality in front of anyone, knowing he would receive a lot of backlash because of it. Now, almost a decade after his coming out, Keith was more than happy that he’d stayed true to himself and gained so many friends, who understood and accepted him for who he was, in the process.

 

**Lance: I don’t think I’ll be able to make it T.T sry, Keith**

 

Keith’s smile dropped instantly.

 

**Hunk: What?! Come on man, we’ll all be there!**

**Allura: Please Lance *puppy eyes activated***

**Lance: *particle barrier activated***

**_-Lance has left the chatroom-_ **

 

Lance didn’t come back online afterwards but Keith couldn’t stop thinking about it. He knew Lance wasn’t homophobic – his older sister Veronica was an out and proud lesbian and most of their mutual friends were part of the LGBTQ+ community too - but he couldn’t grasp the reason Lance wouldn’t want to celebrate with them. Normally he was the most excited when it came to parties. After another twenty minutes of staring at his phone Keith had enough and logged into their personal chatroom.

 

**_-Keith joined the chatroom-_ **

**Keith: I know you probably have your own reasons for not wanting to come along but please thing about it one more time.**

**Keith: We’d all be happy to have you there too.**

 

An hour later he still had no answer and just as Keith was about to give up for the day and just take a shower and go to bed his phone rung with Hunk’s name on the display. “Hunk?”

 

“Hey, Keith; do you have a few minutes to spare?”

 

“Sure, what’s the matter?” Keith sat down on the floor and leaned against his bed. “Is it about what happened in the chatroom?”

 

“Yes, to be precise it’s about Lance,” Hunk said, hesitation in his voice. “To be completely honest, I had to promise him not to tell a single soul what’s up with him but I can’t just sit here and do nothing.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Although I can’t give you any details, I can promise you that Lance will definitely be there on Sunday, trust me on this one.”

 

“But-“

 

“Don’t ask, Keith,” Hunk interrupted. “I won’t tell you anything anyway. Lance is my best friend and trusts me; I won’t take advantage of that. Let’s just say, I know more about the whole situation than Lance does and that’s why I know he’ll attend the party. Just trust me.”

 

“… Fine,” Keith finally said, looking out of the window. “Will we ever hear what this is about?”

 

“I’m pretty sure he’ll tell you himself on Sunday,” Hunk said convinced. “I need to hang up now, good night.”

 

“Good night, Hunk.”

 

* * *

 

Everything was ready; Shiro had prepared a shitload of food and Adam and Keith had decorated their house to fit the occasion; tiny banners in different LGBTQ+ colors hung all around the house and one big flag in rainbow colors was placed on the wall in the living room.

 

In addition Keith had decided to wear his favorite pride-shirt; usually he only wore it to pride parades but this party was a worthy exception. The t-shirt was black with a rainbow in the middle and the words ‘straight as a rainbow’ around it. Just after Keith finished putting on his bracelets – one in rainbow colors and one in white with rainbow-colored hearts – the doorbell rang.

 

Keith made his way downstairs; he knew neither Shiro nor Adam had the time to open the door. Even before reaching the entry hall he already heard laughing from the other site of the door and could easily guess who just had arrived.

 

“Keith!” Allura hugged him before he could say anything and Keith just managed to keep his balance. “Thank you so much for inviting us!”

 

“No problem,” Keith said and hugged her back while waving the rest of his friends inside. “Come on in, Shiro and Adam should be in the living room.”

 

“You even decorated?” Romelle asked astonished, while Matt, Lotor and Pidge looked around with wide eyes. “You could’ve asked us to come earlier; we would’ve loved to help!”

 

“I know, but we’re the hosts,” Keith shrugged. “It’s fine, so don’t worry about it.”

 

“You really outdid yourself this time,” Matt said with a big smile. “Let’s make this a party neither of us will ever forget!”

 

Lotor chuckled with a love-struck smile on his face. It was obvious just how much in love he was with Matt. “Let’s go in first, shall we?”

 

They made their way to the living room where Adam was fixing some of the decorations. “Hey, guys.”

 

“Hey, Adam,” Allura gave him a hug while Romelle and Lotor took a seat. “The others will be a bit late, apparently something urgent came up.”

 

Keith turned to Pidge with an eyebrow raised in question but she just shook her head. “Don’t ask me, I don’t know anything.”

 

“Well, we’ll just have to wait then,” Shiro said, appearing in the doorframe with Matt next to him. “Anyone want some cake?”

 

Ten minutes later everyone had found a place to sit down and was complimenting Shiro on his freshly baked lemon cake.

 

“This is divine,” Allura moaned and Romelle nodded frantically.

 

“Seriously, dude; I need the recipe,” Matt said with a full mouth and even Lotor was too busy eating that he didn’t lecture Matt about his eating-manners. They sat right next to each other and Keith did his best to ignore the jealousy he felt growing in his chest. Normally he was just happy for his friends but especially around pride month, when everyone showed off not only their sexuality but also their relationship, Keith got extremely fast jealous.

 

“I didn’t know you could bake so well,” Pidge muttered, already at her second piece. “You should team up with Hunk; nobody would be able to beat you guys.”

 

“Thanks,” Shiro had gone red from all the compliments, “but it’s not even a hobby of mine, I’m just lucky everything I bake ends up being edible.”

 

Everyone laughed and while the others immersed themselves in conversations Keith watched his friends. He hadn’t noticed it at first but Allura and Romelle actually wore the same purple shirt with the inscription ‘proud to be lesbian.’ Pidge had decided on a simple grey shirt with the asexual colors forming the word ‘nope.’

 

While Lotor had kept it decent with just a simple rainbow hairband, Matt had tried to be as flashy as possible; he wore rainbow sunglasses on his head and a shirt saying ‘sorry girls. I’m gay.’ Around his arm were many bracelets which were rainbow-colored just like his shoes and he even had a small heart drawn on his face – of course it sported rainbow colors too.

 

Shiro had decided on his all time favorite black shirt which said ‘sounds gay… I’m in’ and Adam wore a simple pride-colored t-shirt he’d gotten from Shiro last year. The party hadn’t even gotten started yet but Keith was already sure he’d never forget this fest.

 

“Hunk says, they’re on their way now,” Pidge’s voice interrupted Keith’s thoughts. “They should be here in less then ten minutes.”

 

Nine words, that’s all it took for Keith to get nervous again. He hadn’t heard anything from Lance after the very short conversation in the chatroom and although Hunk had sounded convinced that Lance would be there, Keith had been skeptical until just now. Even a best friend could be wrong once or twice, right?

 

The doorbell rung and Shiro stood up. “I’ll let them.”

 

It got loud in the entry hall and Keith heard a well-known laugh which made his heartbeat go crazy in his chest. Lance was here, Hunk had been right.

 

“Hello guys!” Veronica came into the living room followed by Acxa. “Sorry we took so long but believe me when I say it was totally worth it.”

 

“Can someone enlighten me?” Pidge asked before Keith had the chance. “I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

 

“Just wait another minute and you’ll see,” Acxa commented and dragged Veronica to the couch. Her t-shirt was black and read ‘If lost return to Veronica’ with a red heart and Veronica wore the counterpart; her t-shirt was white, saying ‘I’m Veronica.’ Simple but classic.

 

Shiro came back with Hunk and Lance in tow. Hunk wore a shirt reading ‘pride’ in the colors of the pansexual flag but Keith didn’t pay attention to him. His focus was solely on Lance who had a shy blush on his face. “Hey, guys.”

 

Lance had a bracelet in the colors of the bisexual flag around his right wrist and a flower-crown with blue, pink and purple flowers on his head. On his left cheek someone had drawn a bisexual flag and Keith felt his heart skip a beat.

 

“Wow, that’s what I call an outfit!” Matt commented whistling and laughed. “Not trying to pry into your business but I thought you’re straight?”

 

“Yeah, about that… surprise, I guess?” Lance laughed, taking a seat next to his sister. “I’ll keep it short; remember when Nyma broke up with me?”

 

“Of course, you were totally devastated,” Pidge said. “Don’t tell me she broke up with you because you had a crush on another dude?”

 

“Not exactly,” Lance shook his head. “Apparently she noticed some things I didn’t even notice until after she mentioned it, for example me checking out other guys when she and I were out on a date, and since I couldn’t really deny the accusations she broke up with me on the spot.”

 

“I never liked her,” Veronica muttered and Lance nodded.

 

“Anyway, it took me a while to get used to this revelation and around two month ago I decided to come out to my family in pride month, to be precise this weekend.”

 

Keith muttered, “That’s why you said you couldn’t make it.”

 

“Exactly, but I was just too nervous,” Lance laughed bashfully. “I mean, Veronica has been out for years so I really don’t know what I’ve been afraid of all this time.”

 

“You were being insecure for no reason,” Veronica said, rolling her eyes. “Seriously, you should know by now that no one in our family would ever judge you for anything; Nadia and Sylvio even made you a flower-crown out of fake-flowers so you could wear it all year round!”

 

Lance blushed once more, fidgeting in his seat. “Can we change the subject? I’ve been the center of attention since yesterday and I’d really like to just relax now.”

 

“Of course, that’s what this party is for,” Allura said. “Let’s get the party started!”

 

* * *

 

Keith couldn’t keep his eyes off of Lance; the beautiful and honest smile on his lips and the confidence in his posture while showing off his colors was endearing. It was a wonder Lance hadn’t noticed his stares yet, Keith wasn’t being subtle about it and he knew it.

 

“You should just go talk to him,” Lotor’s voice brought Keith back to reality. “He deserves to know.”

 

“Easier said than done,” Keith sighed. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship, you know? Just because he’s bisexual doesn’t mean he likes me in that way.”

 

Lotor smiled, “Only one way to find out.”

 

“Keith?”

 

His heartbeat accelerated and Keith turned around, staring right at Lance’s sky-blue eyes. “H-hey, Lance.”

 

“Can we maybe talk for a minute? Alone, I mean?” Lance looked restless from one side to another. “It’s important.”

 

Keith hesitated. Not because he didn’t want to talk with Lance but because of what Lotor had just reminded him of. Without doubt, Lance deserved to know the truth but was now the right timing? He had just come out to his family and friends, the last thing Lance needed was one of his closest friends confessing his love to him. However, Keith was sick of hiding and maybe this was the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

 

With new resolve Keith nodded. “Sure, let’s go.”

 

Just a few minute later they were on the patio, sitting next to each other on a wooden bench. They heard laughter and music from the living room and Keith had a hard time not looking at Lance. His determination was already crumbling just thinking about Lance’s smiling face.

 

“So…” Lance started, effectively breaking the silence. “I said I wanted to talk.”

 

“Yeah,” Keith said. “Go ahead. I’m all ears.”

 

“Right,” his voice trembled. “I just wanted to say… thank you.”

 

“Thank me?” Keith turned to Lance, instantly becoming a prisoner to his eyes which reflected the stars above their heads. “For what?”

 

“For everything, I guess?” Lance laughed and scratched his neck. “I didn’t mention it earlier but you actually played a huge role in my decision to finally come out.”

 

Keith stayed silent, waiting for Lance to continue.

 

Lance played with his bracelet while smiling at nothing in particular. “You never hid who you are, be it your sexuality or your opinion on something; you’re always honest and don’t sugarcoat anything. I’m the complete opposite; I hid my sexuality and always try to be as nice as possible to anyone. I’m insecure about everything, be it my looks or personality, while you never care about what other people may think of you. Your independent style was what inspired me to finally accept and embrace this part of myself and that’s why I wanted to thank you, not only for being you but for being my friend too. You don’t know how much it means to me.”

 

“I’m not as great as you make me out to be,” Keith muttered, not meeting Lance’s eyes. “You should really choose a different role model.”

 

Lance chuckled sliding closer to Keith. “Thanks for the advice but I think that’s for me to decide and I’m quite happy with who I’m looking up too.”

 

“Then you’re an idiot,” Keith laughed softly, trying to ignore the sting in his chest. His resolve to confess had completely shattered within the last five minutes. “Let’s go back inside, I’m sure the others are wondering where we are.”

 

“Wait,” Lance said and grabbed Keith’s arm. “I… I have something for you.”

 

Curiosity got the better of Keith and he sat back down. Lance pulled a small package from his pocket and shoved it towards Keith. “I found it in a store a few weeks ago and thought it would be perfect for you.”

 

Lance’s gaze held Keith captured, cheeks flushed red but his eyes filled with determination. Slowly Keith grabbed the box and got rid of the wrapping; inside were two rainbow-colored hairpins and Keith’s eyes got wide. “You… this… I mean… thank you, Lance. They’re beautiful.”

 

“Glad you like them,” Lance laughed. “Want me to put them in your hair?”

 

Keith nodded and Lance grabbed the pins, easily slipping them into his hair and fastening them. “They suit you.”

 

Keith blushed, turning away. “Now I feel bad for not having anything for you.”

 

“It’s fine, really,” Lance smiled. “We should get back inside. It’s getting cold out here.”

 

“Wait!” This time it was Keith who had grabbed Lance’s arm and stopped him from leaving. “I… there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you and… I don’t know whether this is the right timing or not but I need to get this off of my chest.”

 

Silently Lance sat back down, his focus solely on Keith. “Okay, I’m listening.”

 

Keith’s entire body was shivering; he had never been so nervous before in his life but he couldn’t chicken out, he wouldn’t. It was now or never and Keith clung to his resolve. However, his mouth wasn’t affected by his determination and wouldn’t open up to tell the three little words Keith died to say out loud.

 

“Take your time, Keith,” Lance muttered, pulling him in a tight hug as if reading his mind and knowing exactly what Keith was struggling with. “I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Keith closed his eyes and took a deep breath, instantly calming down. Although Lance had no clue what was going on inside his head he knew exactly what to do and Keith’s heart fluttered with affection.

 

“I like you, Lance,” Keith muttered into Lance’s shoulder and returned the hug. “I’m in love with you.”

 

“What?” Lance pulled back, studying Keith’s face. “You… Are you serious?”

 

“Yes, I am,” Keith said, never breaking eye contact. “As cliché as it sounds; I fell for you the first time I saw you.”

 

Lance was silent, still staring at Keith. “That’s-“

 

“You don’t need to say anything,” Keith interrupted. “I just wanted to tell you because you deserve to know. I don’t expect anything from you.”

 

“That’s harsh,” Lance said with a sad smile, a hand slowly stroking Keith’s cheek. “At least let me give you a proper answer, will you?”

 

“We both know you’ll reject me, what’s the point in waiting for you to say it out loud?” Keith turned his head away and kept his gaze down.

 

“See, that’s were you’re wrong,” Lance said. “Remember earlier, when I said Nyma broke up with me because she noticed me staring at other guys and stuff like that?”

 

Keith nodded, not daring to say anything.

 

“Well, that was a lie.” Lance sighed. “After we became friends I hung out a lot more with you guys than with Nyma and at some point she started to feel threatened by it. We argued a lot about it and in the end she broke up with me, telling me that I shouldn’t expect to ever find a girl- or boyfriend if I keep hanging around with you guys all the time.”

 

Keith blinked. “She did what?”

 

“Believe me, I was shocked too,” Lance laughed nervously. “I had no idea why Nyma suddenly talked about me having a boyfriend although she knew I was straight but even when I asked her about it she didn’t give me an explanation and just left. A few weeks later I was lying awake at night and thought about her words. I wasn’t gay, I knew that much for sure, but the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I wasn’t against the thought of dating a guy either.”

 

“You-“

 

“Let me finish,” Lance put a finger on Keith’s mouth and continued. “Back then I was too busy coming to terms with apparently being bisexual to notice it but whenever we met up I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I kept noticing new stuff about you whenever we met and just thinking about you put a smile on my face. I was falling for you and I didn’t mind it at all. However, I couldn’t bring myself to confess to you, at least not yet. Not before I hadn’t at least come out to my family and friends.”

 

Keith’s mind was a mess but his heart had already understood the message and thumped harder in his chest. “Does that mean-“

 

“I like you too, Keith.” Lance whispered and pulled him back into his arms. “I love you.”

 

Keith broke down crying. The tension from months of holding in his feelings finally left his body and he hid his face in the crook of Lance’s neck, crying out of happiness. Lance didn’t say anything and just held him close, never letting go.

 

“Sorry,” Keith said after a few minutes and wiped away the remaining tears. “I totally ruined your shirt.”

 

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Lance smiled and caressed Keith’s cheek. “Seriously, I can’t put into words how happy I am right now.”

 

“Same here,” Keith chuckled and leaned into Lance’s touch. “I love you, Lance.”

 

“I love you too, Keith.” Lance said and slowly leaned in closer. “As much as I’d love to stay alone with you, we should probably return to the party soon.”

 

“Then let’s go,” Keith pulled him up. “But can I ask you a favor before we go back in?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Kiss me.”

 

Lance nodded with a tender smile and his hands slowly moved to Keith’s waist while he stepped closer. Keith had his hands on Lance’s back and his eyes wandered between his lips and eyes.

 

“You’re so beautiful,” Lance muttered and leaned his forehead against Keith’s. “I can’t believe we’re really together now.”

 

Keith didn’t say anything and instead closed the distance between them, finally sealing their lips in a kiss. Lance’s lips were even softer than Keith had imagined and he tasted like lemons, probably because of the lemon cake he’d eaten earlier tonight. Their tongues tangled with each other and Keith sighed in contentment when Lance’s hands found their way into his hair, lightly tugging on the strands and pulling him closer.

 

“Oh, am I interrupting something?” Keith hadn’t noticed the sliding door opening and broke the kiss in surprise. Veronica stood in the doorframe a knowing smile on her face. “The others wanted me to check on you but I guess that was unnecessary.”

 

“Very unnecessary, sis,” Lance rolled his eyes but didn’t let go of Keith. “We’ll be there soon, so go back in and gossip all you want until we’re there.”

 

“Don’t take too long,” Veronica winked and returned inside.

 

Lance and Keith looked at each other and started laughing. “I’ll never forgive her for interrupting our first kiss.”

 

“Don’t be too harsh on her,” Keith chuckled. “She’s still your sister.”

 

Lance nodded and started straightening Keith’s clothes. “Let’s go back inside, shall we?”

 

“Yeah, but you should really put on another shirt,” Keith said, staring at Lance’s crumpled top. “This one is wrinkled and soaked with my tears. If we go back like this, we’ll be teased until the end of time.”

 

“True, they’d never let it go,” Lance said, looking down at himself. “Do you have a shirt I could borrow?”

 

Keith thought for a few seconds. “I think so; we’re about the same height, so it should fit you perfectly.”

 

Making sure no one noticed them they slipped back inside and disappeared upstairs. In Keith’s room Lance sat down on Keith’s bed while Keith searched his wardrobe for the t-shirt he wanted Lance to wear. It didn’t take him long to find it and Lance laughed in amusement when Keith presented it to him. “Why do you have a shirt with such an inscription?”

 

The shirt was black and said ‘I’m not gay but my boyfriend is,’ with the words ‘gay,’ ‘boyfriend’ and ‘is’ being rainbow-colored. Keith had never been a big fan of the shirt; why should he wear it when he had no boyfriend and was in fact gay? “I got it for free at a pride parade a few years ago,” Keith shrugged. “I never wore it myself but I’m sure it’ll look good on you.”

 

Just a moment later Keith was proven right; the t-shirt suited Lance perfectly, as if it had always been intended that he would wear it and Keith couldn’t stop staring at his boyfriend. Lance inspected himself in the mirror before turning around. “Can I keep this?”

 

“Yes, absolutely,” Keith said without hesitation and moved closer, pressing a kiss on Lance’s lips. “It would only be a waste if I kept it.”

 

Lance chuckled, his arms loosely around Keith’s hip. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

 

Keith grinned and kissed him again, short but passionately before pulling away and reaching for Lance’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “Let’s go, everyone’s waiting for us.”

 

Downstairs all eyes were instantly on them, teasing smiles on their faces.

 

“Look who’s finally back,” Matt said and pointed at their intertwined fingers. “I guess Keith finally had the guts to confess.”

 

“Shut up, Matt,” Keith blushed and pulled Lance to a free spot on the floor. “Did we miss anything important?”

 

“Wait, did Matt know about your crush?” Lance asked after a second, a curious gaze shifting from Keith to Matt and back.

 

“Everyone knew about it,” Romelle said. “Seriously, it was hard not to notice the way Keith looks at you.”

 

“Oh?” Lance’s turned to Keith with a smug grin now decorating his face. “How _does_ he look at me?”

 

Keith punched his arm lightly. “Lance, stop.”

 

“Hey, I have every right to know!” Lance rubbed his arm and sulked. “You can’t hide it from me forever anyway.”

 

The teasing went on for a while – especially Veronica had fun provoking her brother - but it was obvious that everyone was happy for them and Keith couldn’t keep a content smile from his face.

 

When the party slowly but surely came to an end Lance came up with a suggestion and pulled his phone out. “How about we take a picture, as reminder of today?”

 

“Yes, that’s a wonderful idea!” Allura was excited and promptly shooed back to the sofa while Lance carefully placed his phone on a shelf with the self-timer activated.

 

Allura and Romelle sat next to each other holding hands while Acxa had Veronica on her lap. Matt posed in front of the couch with his glasses pulled down in a ‘draw me like on of your French girls’-position and Lotor only shook his head with an affectionate smile while kneeing next to him. Hunk and Pidge each sat on one armrest while Shiro, Adam, and Keith stood behind the sofa leaning down so they’d still be seen in the picture.

 

“Okay, that should do it,” Lance nodded satisfied and made his way towards Keith, not hesitating to put an arm around him and holding him close. “The shutter should go of any moment; everyone, say cheese!”

 

Seconds later there was a clicking-sound and Lance sprinted to his phone, showing everyone the picture. “This is great, I’ll make sure to print it and get everyone a copy.”

 

While the others were saying good bye to each other and already starting to make plans for their next meet up Lance walked towards Keith, lightly blushing and nervously fiddling with the phone he still held in his hand. “Can we take a picture too? Just the two of us?”

 

Keith stared at Lance’s puppy eyes and had a hard time stopping himself from saying out loud just how adorable Lance looked. In the end he simply nodded while waving his brother over. “Hey, Shiro? Can you take a picture of us?”

 

“Sure,” Shiro smiled and took the phone, stepping back. “Get in position.”

 

They stood next to each other with their arms around one another’s shoulders and smiled at the camera. Lance also held a tiny rainbow-colored flag in his right hand to emphasize what they had been celebrating – as if they could ever forget. Just before Shiro pressed the trigger Lance turned his head and planted a kiss on Keith’s cheek, making him blush.

 

Lance pulled away a few seconds later and thanked Shiro, taking the phone back to check the picture, with a goofy smile on his face. “This is perfect; I’ll definitely frame this and put it in my room. What do you think, Keith?”

 

Keith moved next to Lance and stared at the display. Lance hadn’t exaggerated; the picture was indeed perfect. Lance had his eyes closed and smiled while kissing Keith, who was looking at Lance instead of the camera and smiling like a love-struck teenager. Keith definitely needed a copy of this photo.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is the end~ I hope you liked it :D 
> 
> Kudos or a comment are always welcome ^-^ and if there is anything you'd criticize please let me know so I can learn from my mistakes ^^;;
> 
> And please check out [Luscena.art's Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/luscena.art/), her art deserves more recognition :3
> 
> See ya next time~~
> 
> \- Vipera


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